The case for safe and dignified migration in Africa : justice imperatives for people on the move

Abstract

In 2016, the African Union (AU) took a significant step toward realising its vision of continental unity1 by adopting the Protocol on the Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence and Right of Establishment. This Protocol embodies a fundamental Pan-African aspiration to empower Africans to move, work and reside freely across the continent, while promoting regional integration, economic growth and social cohesion. While several factors shaped the AU's renewed commitment to mobility, the 2015 European migrant crisis, during which more than 2 000 Africans drowned while crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa, stressed the urgency of developing continental solutions for safe and dignified movement. Equally, the 2017 revelations of slave markets in Libya increased the urgency for Africa to safeguard the dignity and rights of its people within the continent rather than through perilous external routes. Nearly a decade later, free movement remains uneven and fragmented. The persistence of irregular migration, displacement crises and migrant rights violations reveals that Africa's challenge lies not in the absence of migration and protection policies, but in their multiplicity, inconsistency and limited implementation across AU institutions, Member States and Regional Economic Communities. For policymakers, this fragmentation presents a serious governance dilemma. Despite progressive frameworks like the Free Movement Protocol (FMP), the Migration Policy Framework for Africa (MPFA) and the African Union Transitional Justice Policy (AUTJP), migration governance and justice mechanisms operate in silos. This disconnect weakens continental efforts to ensure safe and dignified mobility, excludes people on the move from justice avenues, and undermines Africa's own vision of a prosperous and integrated continent. This policy paper argues that bridging migration governance and transitional justice frameworks can strengthen accountability, enhance protection for people on the move, and advance the AU's goal for a borderless and inclusive continent.